1985 GMC K15 & 1967 Ford F100 - Reader-Built Rides

Over the course of a year we feature vehicles in the pages of 4-Wheel Off-Road that we hope will help you dream up, plan, and build your ideal 4x4. Sometimes the vehicle is a high-dollar work of mechanical and engineering art, and sometimes it's a truck your neighbor down the street built in his barn. We try to cover as broad a spectrum of vehicles as we can, and that means traveling all over the country and searching out rigs that combine radically new technologies with proven off-road concepts in a 4x4 package that works better, looks cooler, or goes further than anything else out on the trail.

We can't discriminate between vehicle brands because a functional 4x4 will prove itself whether it's a GMC or a Scout 800. It's true that certain vehicles make better foundations than others, but ultimately it comes down to what you build and not what you buy. So every year we compile a cross-section of reader-built rigs that have been inspired by trucks, tech, and trends that are brought to you every month in the pages of this magazine. We are happy to say that we have never seen so many capable rigs out on the trail, and bringing you 4x4s worthy of your attention gets easier every year. Flip through the following pages and start planning your next rig or next modification. We can't wait to see it, and more importantly, we can't wait to show it to the rest of the world.

The 4x4 Equivalent Of Your Backyard HammockGMC-MogDaniel Tibus built this K15 in Germany and then had it shipped over to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari so we could check it out. We had toyed with the idea of putting Unimog axles under a fullsize truck ourselves, but could never have done as clean an install as this. The portal Unimog axles he runs have a lot of advantages over even the Dana 60, and after Daniel narrows the housings and converts them to disc brakes the only downside is the 7.54: 1 axle ratio, if you consider that a downside.

If you hate getting covered in mud, and you can't afford to compete in desert racing or rockcrawling, there's still a ton of fun to be had roaming the desert range. Unlike with mud and rocks, you are far more likely to take your daily driver out for a day in the dirt without needing to spend a week in the car wash or the body shop undoing the fun-damage.

These seven rigs are about having fun with as little stress as possible. That's what being a Desert Dog is all about-relaxing and cruising your favorite trails with as little work as possible. These rigs will hardly ever break and always make for good trail companions, and the drivers will always be in good moods.

Anomaly F-100We found Dave Silverthorne cruising the high desert seas of TDS and immediately asked him where he got the five-lug Dana 60 rear axle that he had swapped into his F-100. When he told us that it was the stock rear axle that came with the truck back in 1967, we were floored. Knowing that he had our attention he pointed out the front Dana 44 axle that uses kingpin open knuckle outers. We didn't even know such an axle existed! He then broke it to us that the truck had no power steering and it was plagued with a single-speed Dana 21 transfer case. Still this truck is capable enough to qualify as a Desert Dog and so unique we just had to show it to you Ford guys out there.

Frankenstein S-10OK, so there aren't a lot of deserts in Jeff Cramer's home state of Maryland. So what! Jeff's got a tow vehicle and doesn't mind racking up the road miles all over the country in search of off-road challenges for his LT1-powered S-10. Jeff's S-10 buildup plan revolved around mounting the mini-truck body on his old Suburban frame, and when the going gets really tough he ditches the doors for better visibility. Now he has the strength of a fullsize truck in a much more trail (and trailer) friendly package.

Instant HeroThis K5 is a perfect example of a simple 4x4 formula that anyone can follow to achieve off-road hero status without selling your soul to the local off-road shop. Tim Sprouse's K5 uses the proven SM465 four-speed combined with an Off Road Design Doubler to get all the gear reduction he could ever need, while keeping the stock 4.10 gears that came in his donor K30 axles. After a little spider gear welding out back and a Lock-Right up front the axles were done. The money Tim saved on the axles went toward the crossover steering, high-steer arms, and an AGR Rockram that solved every steering problem Tim ever had.

Poore Man's TacomaOn the contrary. We're sure that this TRD Tacoma buildup cost Ben Poore quite a bit of money, but it made for such a cool package that we couldn't just keep it to ourselves. Never mind the solid axle swap using a Ford Bronco Dana 44 or the TRD blown V-6 under the hood. Tacomas just look so right on 36-inch Swampers. In a truck this light the full-width Dana 44 front axle will live forever, and is a perfect match for the factory electric locker that came in the rear axle.

TarantulaOK, it's got a number on it and coilover shocks, and could be considered a "Competition Crawler" if owner Charlie Copsey hadn't been driving it while on vacation. We like Charlie's ride because it breaks new ground in the small engine, low gears, light weight category and shows everyone that rear-wheel steering can make the difference between wheeling and winching up a trail.

Almost ThereWe can't wait to see what Tim Odell's Toyota looks like next year. As it is, Tim's home-brewed solid-axle swap and unfolding front shackle took him some impressive places. Too bad a longer front driveshaft and some lower gears weren't in the budget this year. Still, Tim's Toy showed a lot of potential as he pushed it to its limits-and beyond-at Moab this year.